


Aftermath

by MaddyBee



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Reader-Insert, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 22:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10728651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddyBee/pseuds/MaddyBee
Summary: Things don't always go as planned for the Avengers, and when they don't, everyone has their own way of dealing with the consequences. Luckily, they have you.





	Aftermath

Most of the time, missions were a success.

Sometimes they weren’t.

The failed missions were the ones that really showed the people, the humanity, behind the group known as the Avengers. It was when they stopped being super heroes and became average people who felt too much and could do too little.

This had been a particularly bad one. Civilian casualties, the loss of agents, and the escape of an enemy. The ride home was silent, broken only by the occasional sigh. When the jet landed back at the facility, the team fell into their routine like clockwork, their actions always the same when dealing with a botched rescue mission.

Steve was the first of the jet, leading the rest away from the prying eyes of the busy compound and into the private depths of their living quarters. Everyone’s shoulders slumped in unison - there was no one to put on a mask for down here.

Ever the captain, Steve took the hit the hardest, saying nothing as his face was set in grimace, blue eyes lacking their usual warmth. He strode straight through the common room, heading for his office to start working on the next mission. He’d become well-versed in moving forward so as not to get lost in the past. He needed to know that next time, people would be saved, and so all his grief and guilt would be put into rigorous research, until he felt ok enough to face the team that he felt responsible for.

Tony followed his steps, pausing in the kitchen where his eyes drifted between the coffee machine and the liquor cabinet. This was where the routine could differ, it all depended on how the guilt hit him that day. Today, when he felt like he personally had failed, he went for the whiskey. He didn’t grab a glass before leaving for his lab, where he would lock himself away for the next few days, probably forgoing eating and sleeping in order to lose himself in his work and pause his feelings until they diluted enough to be dealt with. 

Luckily, Bruce hadn’t had to hulk out on this occasion, and so he simply took a mug of green tea and retreated to his room to immerse himself in a book. He would reappear in a few hours, quiet and gentle as always but slightly more distracted in his actions. If he had hulked out, he wouldn’t be seen for days.

Bucky was also taking it hard, as he always did. He had come a long way since his Winter Soldier days, but the guilt of the lives he took still ate at him. The nightmares were less frequent, and he opened up easily to those he cared about, but when people died on his watch, the remorse slammed him like a freight train. He stood for a minute in the doorway, eyes following Steve’s retreating form as he tugged a hand aggressively though his hair. Jaw set tight and eyes on fire, he retreated to the gym. He would worry about repairing the equipment tomorrow.

Sam was the sigher, eyes heavy as he tried to smile. He took action, switching on the tv to offer some background noise, then flicking on the oven in the hopes that he could force at least a few people to eat.

Clint clapped him on the shoulder as they passed in the kitchen, starting the coffee machine and lining up everyone’s personal mug. While the machine hummed, he wandered over to the balcony, leaning on the barrier as he took deep breathes of the cool night air, staring out at the city he was supposed to protect, only able to hope that next time would be better.

Wanda curled up on one end of the sofa, tucking into herself as she pulled the blanket from the arm to wrap tightly around her frame. She stared at the tv, but her mind was miles away, and it took her a few seconds to register that Sam was pressing a steaming mug into her hand. Offering up a quick, weak smile, she cupped her pale hands around the ceramic, allowing the rich smell and tendrils of heat to calm her thoughts. 

Natasha mirrored her movements, scrunching up in an armchair, her cool green eyes tracking the movements and faces of everyone else in the room. Like the others, she didn’t say a word, but she was no doubt better at hiding her emotions. She would keep the guilt within herself until she was alone in her room, with nothing to protect her from her thoughts. For now, she did what she was trained to do, and kept her feelings locked away from others. 

While the others preferred to retreat and hide, these four grouped together, finding comfort in the silent camaraderie. 

And then there was you. 

Nat caught your eye as you stood, still in the doorway, observing silently. You smiled gently, a lopsided quirk of your lips, before taking action. You swapped the tv to a movie you knew was a team favourite, then tucked the blanket tighter around Wanda, brought Nat her hoodie from the kitchen table, and carefully wiped the dried blood from Sam’s cheek with a wet cloth. Clint was then brought back inside and sat in a chair with his own, extra large, mug of coffee.

They were the easy ones. 

Friday was told to keep you up to date on Tony’s sobriety, and would let you know when he got to the stage where he shouldn’t be alone. Then, you would force yourself into his lab and coax him to bed and stay with him till he passed out. 

The med-kit was waiting in your room to tend to Bucky’s knuckles once he was done destroying everything in sight, and you made sure that Bruce’s favourite tea was fully stocked and ready for whenever he emerged. 

Then, with one last sweeping look over your friends gathered around the tv, you picked up the last two mugs and padded quietly down the corridor. Using your elbow, you budged open the door to Steve’s office to find him sat with his head in his hands. A sad frown graced your face as you approached the brooding man, setting the mugs down before taking a seat next to him. There, you put a hand on his forearm and sat with him until he was ready to talk.

Because all of the avengers were heroes, but they were all human too, and you would do everything you could to protect them when they could no longer protect themselves. 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little oneshot to get back into writing, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
